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DPF Secret Santa 2013 ideas...

DPF Secret Santa 2013 ideas...
Snow said:
I don't really agree with the generosity thing though. Yes some members received a number of gifts with there packages and others not so much but I am with the 'it's the thought that counts' saying
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I'm a firm believer in "it's the thought that counts" but there is a difference between inexpensive thoughtful gifts and someone being cheap.

I'm going to use my own Secret Santa as an example of a thoughtful yet inexpensive gift. Which is not to say that her gift wasn't lovely, but she followed the rules, sent me at least $10 worth of pins and found a way to make them special. And to prove my point I'm going to say that she didn't spend any additional money beyond the pins, heck we can even say she already had the pins she gave me, so to prove that a thoughtful gift can be done with only the price of shipping we're going to say that she already had the pins. So...she wrapped each pin in what, for the sake of argument about not spending a lot of money was some white fabric that she had lying around at home, put them in an organza bag and then wrapped a lovely bit of rhinestone ribbon around the bag for added sparkle. And instead of using packing materials she filled the box with more fabric. In addition to the pins she wrote me a lovely letter with poems for each pin. This is a thoughtful and inexpensive gift. I love the pins, but even more I love the poems that she wrote. She didn't have to spend any money but she put a ton of love into my gift.

On the other hand...I know someone who got a child's puzzle from the .99 cent store. How is that thoughtful? She's an adult, she would have gotten more use out of a tube of toothpaste, a bottle of shampoo or a fly swatter. Are those thoughtful gifts? No, but neither is a puzzle for a 5 year old, when you're putting together a gift for an adult who has no children. Now if the sender had put some thought into the gift they could have taken that puzzle box, gotten rid of the puzzle, decorated the box and used it as a gift box. I've done this and it turned out great! And I put some thought into it. I know that you can make some great gifts from things purchased at the dollar store and in the process not spend a lot of money.

For example, my cousin got married this summer and I didn't have a job, which meant no money for a shower gift, so I managed to scrounge up a few dollars through some very creative means, bought some candles and clear candle holders at the dollar store and made my own candles for her. Now to make them special I did have to spend a bit more money, I bought some candle dye to make them purple, one of her colors and some lavender essential oil which was about $15 but will last for me to make another 100 candles, and finally to make them really special I sawed some trees (which has special meaning to her) out of brass and glued them onto the candle holders. Now I get that most people don't know how to cut things out of metal, but the same effect could be done with gluing some one-sided charms on. I don't have a picture to share with you, although I'm going to get one so you can see what I mean, but these candles could have cost me $35+ at some boutique, and I bought nearly everything at the dollar store.

I get that some people aren't creative or crafty, but damn, make some sort of effort and put some thought into your gift.

My point is that some people were not thoughtful, they were just cheap. And it's sad because there were a lot of people who did put a lot of thought and some a lot of money into their gifts. And even worse were the Santas who didn't even send a pin, let alone one with a retail value of $10, retail value, not ebay value, not bought it on DPF value, because if you sent someone a booster pin or a HM, than you didn't send them a pin with a $10 value. I think the people who didn't send even a pin, for a SS exchange on a pin forum should be contacted by the mods and told that they did not meet the requirements of the exchange and if they do not send a pin valued at at least $10 that they will be banned from the forum.

On a lighter note, more time would be awesome! With the time we had my gift is late. I am one of those people that is crafty/artistic and I have more talent than money so I like to make things for friends and family and getting their gifts done, got in the way of getting my SS done before Christmas. I was also someone who got someone with 0 posts, heck they haven't even posted to say that they haven't gotten their gift, so I'm super down for restrictions on post limit, length of membership, all those things that prove someone wants to be a part of this community and not just looking for a free gift. I also think if it becomes apparent that someone only signed up for the SS that they shouldn't be allowed to participate next year. Extreme, maybe, but I agree with Sora, that when you have a SS exchange at work, it's only for those people, not everyone and their "auntie" likewise if you quit they don't keep letting you participate so if you're only going to come around DPF at Christmas time to get a gift, regardless of whether you're sending one too, than why should the rest of us include you? Everyone talks about being a community, well part of being that is actively participating year round.

I don't know how I feel about spending limits because as I've tried to explain above you can send thoughtful gifts on a budget. I even made trades so that I could send pins to my SS from his wants. Sending someone a pin from their wants, instead of whatever you have in your traders is thoughtful. There are so many ways to make your gift thoughtful and I think that's more important than how much you spend.

OK, getting off of my soapbox now, as you can see I am rather passionate about, "it's the thought that counts." I feel like "do onto others as you'd have them do onto you" is a more appropriate colloquialism. So if you don't want a crappy, thoughtless gift, than don't send someone else one.

I also think answering a few questions about yourself would make a huge difference in the quality of your gift, so that's a great idea too.
 
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I just want to add, that we can have other gift exchanges that don't involve the mods. Not that I have a problem with them, but if they're feeling overwhelmed by the idea I'm sure there are plenty of us, myself included that would happily put something together. Christmas in July or gift exchanges with traders with the same collections, I'm partial to craft exchanges, but there are so many things we could do to make things fun, well even more fun. I feel like a lot of the same people get zapped and that many of us feel left out, so I'd love to do things that were more inclusive of everyone.
 

Ok I get your point

Well I think someone suggested a spending limit so this is where that would come into effect and the rules were there I'm sure it said something along the lines of that you didn't have to send a pin or if you wasn't then the gifts still had to amount to $10-$20 or more if you wish. So if all your friend received was a .99 cent puzzle then yes they should receive a 1 month ban.
 
I also participated in a Secret Santa on another forum I frequent and even though that forum is much less of a community than we are here on DPF it went a lot more smoothly. So I'm going to steal a few of their ideas and add some of my own.

Minimum post count should be a must. I would say 50 is a good number. Feedback is not important for this since there are quite a few active members here that never trade, sell, or buy online.

Only the forum member should be allowed to sign up but they can mention in their questionnaire what their child, spouse, friend, etc. collects so the giver has the option to throw in something extra. Young children shouldn't really be allowed to participate, but their parents can list their wants for them.

Everyone should be required to post what they received so that the givers are not stressed out about a package not making it, especially those sent to international recipients that cannot be tracked.

The minimum gift value should be raised to $20 and there should be a maximum of $30-$50. Some of the gifts I've seen have been well over a $100 value and I suspect many that just got a $10 rack pin didnt bother posting. The maximum in my other Secret Santa exchange was $30 and it made it more fun since people were forced to get creative.

If you violate ANY rule (don't email you shipping info to mods, don't send a gift, send just one Hidden Mickey, etc.) you should get a permanent ban.

There should be a hard shipping deadline by which your gift must be shipped by. Maybe two weeks before Christmas.
 
I agree with the general consensus.
1. DPF members only, with X amount of posts / X months of activity. I know some people lurk and don't post, so maybe X amount of posts OR X amount of feedback (maybe a ratio ?), though that may be more difficult to calculate and more time-consuming for the owners running SS. If your child, neighbor, workfriend, etc wants to join SS, have them join DPF early in the year to get to know people. I guess the flipside is if you aren't allowing your child to join due to age and/or not wanting them to use the internet as much, then like psychopixie said, you can list your child and their likes but exclude yourself.

OR if you are a parent who wants to include their children, or a child who wants to include their parent, etc. MAYBE there should be a SS thread for groups. Like: Families sign up here. and so families can exchange and be Secret Santas with each other, and then the $10 minimum will be increased to $25 (or more?) for the group.

2. at least one of the gifts should be a PIN or pin-related item. it is, after all, DPF. right? and that should be where the $10 minimum is. I like the $ idea to split into groups, but that's too much work (just like splitting a DPF member vs nonmember vs child/neighbor/busdriver list).

3. Earlier sign-up sheet and distribution. I think Christmas in July would be nice to have (a second SS?) but I hope it will start October or November. That'll give enough time to make / buy / shop / send / etc.

4. Questionnaires They always help!
 
I think that the time is period is messed up we should find out before Thanksgiven I know the MODS work hard to match people up. I still have not gotten my gift i know that they have untill Jan 14th but it sucks seeing all the nice gift and having to wait. It was very hard trying to buy for my SS they did not have alot of items in there wants so i did have to get creative and think outside the box. I just think this is a great thing and people need to remember the reason.
 
I agree with everything except the feedback. I've only bought from one person on the forum and haven't been able to set up any trades. Heck I still haven't made my first trade. I don't have to many traders at the moment and that could be the reason why but I have been active on the forum trying to get to know people etc; I would check off on all other criteria except feedback and I do understand feedback is good but I just haven't found any one who wants to trade with me so how can I get feedback if no one wants to trade with me. And again I agree with the 50-100 post must be active member must have dpf account and pin pics account and I definitely agree with maybe adding more to questionnaire so the more personal you can make a gift but I would definitely like secret santa to start earlier because like torianne-2008 said it would be nice to get the names before thanksgiving especially for those who's secret santa is outside their country so they can receive their gifts by Christmas after all secret santa is traditionally supossed to get gifts by Christmas day
 
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I definitely think that it should be a $10 PIN minimum (one pin, two pins or more, whatever it takes to reach the pin minimum.) Then if one wants to be creative, great! And definitely get it before Thanksgiving because one can shop the Black Friday sales (well, unless one was at DLR for BatB release!)

I don't have a problem with hidden mickeys, as long as they are real and on the recipients' want list - some of the ones I'm after (Beauty & the Beast - Belle black & white and Belle & Beast in the heart) are $20+! I can't believe it! And they usually have a value of $5-6 (based upon the fact that Disney sells them 2 for $10 or 2 for $12).
 
I agree with rubyslipperedgoddess about the 'thought that counts' versus just being cheap thing. Even if someone includes just one pin, and shops at the 99 cent store, but everything that they get is something that actually pertains to what the recipient LIKES, and not just random things, that's inexpensive but still very thoughtful. Like ruby said, not everyone is crafty or artistic, but I don't think it's that hard to cater to a person's likes and dislikes as long as that person has appropriately filled out their 'dear santa' thing. For me personally, I'd be happier with a $15 pin that's on my want list and a sheet of Harry Potter stickers than a $100 pin not on my want list, that has nothing to do with anything I like. It's not the amount spent, it's how much they tried to cater the gift towards what you would like Again, just my two cents!
 
I think that there definietly needs to be a post mininum - the same way there is with give-a-ways.

Plus I would really like to get to buy for someone who is active on the forum . . . the past two years i have had members with less than 10 posts.
 
Maybe we should evolve into secret pin pals. Start sign up/drawing in January. Commit to mail at least 3 fun treats/surprises thru the year and a fourth one as a reveal in December!

Longer questionnaires, active member, required PinPics.
 
Spiffie said:
Maybe we should evolve into secret pin pals. Start sign up/drawing in January. Commit to mail at least 3 fun treats/surprises thru the year and a fourth one as a reveal in December!

Longer questionnaires, active member, required PinPics.
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Ooh, this sounds fun!
 
Maybe we should evolve into secret pin pals. Start sign up/drawing in January. Commit to mail at least 3 fun treats/surprises thru the year and a fourth one as a reveal in December!

Longer questionnaires, active member, required PinPics.
Click to expand...


that sounds like fun!
 
Spiffie said:
Maybe we should evolve into secret pin pals. Start sign up/drawing in January. Commit to mail at least 3 fun treats/surprises thru the year and a fourth one as a reveal in December!

Longer questionnaires, active member, required PinPics.
Click to expand...


The only downside to this would be if people only want to be part of the Christmas SS. Could be fun, but it's also a long term commitment and people might not be able to manage things later in the year.
 
echoharmony said:
I will say this in closing. Thoughtful is not synonymous with expensive, nor is thoughtless synonymous with inexpensive.
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+3!!!

Spiffie said:
Maybe we should evolve into secret pin pals. Start sign up/drawing in January. Commit to mail at least 3 fun treats/surprises thru the year and a fourth one as a reveal in December!

Longer questionnaires, active member, required PinPics.
Click to expand...

While i really like this idea, I see a few problems...
1~ many people would not be comfortable committing to a year long activity such as this.
2~ what if people want to join halfway through the year?
3~ what if life gets in the way and someone needs to get out?

OK, My earlier statement that allowing kids into SS can be shifted.I said that if my daughter was say, 7+ yrs old and wanted to, she should be allowed, but then not me. one person one ID right? While i would love for kids to be allowed to participate, if they are not old enough to have their own forum ID and be active, they do not need to be involved in DPF SS. And its not so much the opinions stated that made me decide this but something else entirely.

Us PARENTS, need something for ourselves occasionally. Our children are a major importance in our lives, but to stay sane, a parent needs "me time" and things that are just for them. If a child is not on DPF with their own ID, they do not need to be involved in the DPF SS. The SS should be allowed to be for the active ID, the adult. Am I saying i am selfish? Nope. I am saying that my girls get everything I can give and dang it, my SS is for me not them! Asking a partial to total stranger to purchase or find gifts for a child instead of for you is a grand wonderful and loving parental gesture but what about YOU, the parent, don't you think you deserve just the tiniest bit of christmas fun? Let the SS be for you.

conclusion after much thought: No, the DPF SS should be for the active ID, not for their kids, grandkids, cousins or nieghbors. If the active DPF ID member wants to then hand the SS gift over to someone else afterwards, thats their choice.
 
I like the idea of post minimums. And I am one of the people who still haven't received their SS gift. I am not sure if a "grace" period is a good idea because 2 weeks after New Years is a LOOOOOOONG time for a secret santa.

Kids: If there are enough parents of "older" children...we should do our own SS exchange with them. I have a great great SS exchange between my son and another forum members son.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PINPICS account to participate for sure!!!!

And only one entry per person.
 
I think a separate one each quarter would be fun not an ongoing commitment, though. I'd like the freedom to pass one quarter if I have too much going on, or whatever.
 
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